Am I Happy or What?

In the centre of Zagreb stands a small hotel where tradition and modern customs meet. It looks as if we have entered a welcoming, peaceful hotel: the kind of place where you recognize the faces of the chambermaids. Nothing is at it seems, however. Nor has the current economic situation bypassed this place. By observing the chambermaids going about their everyday business, and capturing real events as they unfold, we enter areas that hotel guests rarely see and in some cases are not allowed to see. We discover the secret world that lies beneath the surface of a luxury hotel: where the daily battle for work and survival provides a sharp contrast to the building’s refined facade. This film shows us a very different side of hotel life. We observe the chambermaids’ daily routines, while the global financial crisis threatens the security of their humble positions.

Director

Vanja Sviličić

Screenplay

Vanja Sviličić

Cinematography

Vanja Sviličić

Producer

Damir Terešak

Production

MaXima film

Vanja Sviličić (1974) began her career as an art photographer, exhibiting at the CVAC Art Fair International Art Festival in the USA. As a director of photography on short films, produced by Motovun Film Festival, she had the chance to work with prominent directors, including Vatroslav Mimica and Stephen Daldry. Her short documentary On the Square (2007) was part of a portmanteau film Why Democracy? which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival (Audience Day) in 2008.